Those Unnamed Feelings
by mslyon
Summary: Set after "The mother and child in the Bay". Brennan stays with Booth, Parker, Rebecca and Drew at the Diner and bonds with Parker. That night might change everything she believes in. Disclaimer: I don't own Bones, HH and Fox do.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hey everybody!I received a PM giving me some tips to improve the chapter and some corrections to what I wrote, so I edited this first chapter. English is not my first language, so mistakes are expected. If you find something, please PM me and tell me all about it. This is also my first time writing (and publishing) something, so my writting style will have a lot of mistakes too. Corrections and recomendations are welcomed!**

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Brennan looked at Booth. She was agonizingly bad at reading body language, but the FBI agent was clearly happy to be with his son. He was a good father, he really was and she admired that about him. She might believe that bringing kids to this hard and difficult world was a poor choice, but she also believed that parents should always stand by their children. She had seen the consequences of being alone in the world, and she wouldn't wish them onto anyone.

As she looked at the scene in front of her, she was glad. Glad that Parker was in Booth's lap, glad that her partner got to be with the most important person in his world, but there was another feeling too. One she couldn't accurately identify. A little sadness, anger and want all mixed together. It was something she had felt before, but never had catalogued it properly. Maybe it was better if she turned around and left, that way whatever she was feeling would go away.

Suddenly, Booth looked up from the conversation about animals and saw her. He smiled and said something to Parker very quietly. The little boy nodded.

"Bones, wait!" He said while moving his son out of his lap and standing up. He walked towards her. "Stay" he asked, with an annoyingly charming smile.

"No, Booth, this is a family moment. I'd be in the way " stated Brennan. It would make her feel uncomfortable. Participating in a family moment, but not really being a part of that particular family would be even worse than simply leaving.

"Bones, there is Parker and his mother and father, yes. It's a family thing. But Rebecca has someone she trusts beside her, someone who will support her. I trust you, Bones. You are my partner, so be my partner and stay, OK?" He answered; looking at her with his deep brown eyes in a way that left no doubt that he meant what he said. Those same eyes that always said many things to her, but she usually was unable to determine what exactly it was that they were telling her.

"But what about Parker, Rebecca and Drew? They don't even know me" She argued back.

"Come on, Bones! They are ok with it!" He smiled charmingly.

"OK" she sighed. He did a little jump of approval that wouldn't have been out of place if Parker had done it.

They walked back towards the booth they had sat before and Booth introduced Drew to Brennan.

"Drew, this is Dr. Temperance Brennan. She works at the medico-legal lab of the Jeffersonian and is also my partner. Bones, this is Drew, Rebbeca's boyfriend."

"Daddy, why do you call her Bones. Isn't she called Dr. Brennan?" Parker asked with a frown.

"Yes buddy, that's her name, but I have a nickname for her because she is my partner and my friend. And, she works with bones in the museum, so I thought it was fitting" he answered his son.

"Ok. So, you work with bones? And you're a doctor?" he asked looking at her with the same eyes as his father. They were the same color and form, and they also had some sort of sparkle and plenty of emotions to show. Those eyes were going to be the death of her, as they certainly made her feel as if a small electrical current was going through her body. As scientifically impossible as that sounded, those ocular orbs were different than other people's. She mentally sighed, she was becoming sentimental, as bad as Angela.

"Yes Parker. I'm a doctor in Forensic Anthropology which is the study of bones" she answered the 5 year-old boy.

"That's so cool! And you get to touch them?" He asked excitedly.

"Yes, I do" she said. She probably shouldn't mention that she needed to clean them first, or maybe reconstruct them if the murder was too brutal. Simple was better.

"Awesome! That is so gross! Isn't it mummy?" he said looking at Rebbeca.

"Yes, it is very cool, Parker" She looked at Booth and then Brennan.

"Uhm Drew? I think Parker would love to have dinner with his father and Dr. Brennan so he can have some quality time with them. We should go. Seeley, would you like to drop Parker off after dinner?" she asked the FBI agent.

He looked at his ex as if she had grown a second head, but answered anyway. That was an expression Brennan had learned from Angela, and one she could recognize in her partners face.

"Of course!" he answered, then looked at his son "Would you like to go to the Hamburger place with Bones and me, buddy?"

"Yei! Hamburgers!" exclaimed Parker and started doing little up and down jumps. 'Were all children this excitable? Or was it only Booth's offspring?' Thought Brennan to herself.

Rebbeca and Drew said goodbye, stood and left and Brennan still couldn't understand what happened and why now. She was supposed to be Booth's support, but now, Rebbeca was gone. Her job was finished and she was in the middle of their bonding time. So, she said.

"well, Booth, as Rebbeca is gone, you don't need me anymore. I'll be going now"

"No! Dr. Bones! You can't leave! Daddy has to show you his secret hamburger place! And you need to tell me stories about all the bones you have seen! Pleaaaaaaaase?" he asked while making a face that Angela would describe as "puppy-dog eyes". 'Oh, yes. Those eyes were too powerful to deny' She thought and analyzed what would happen if she stayed. Parker wanted her there; Booth was nodding along his son, so he wanted her to stay too. Well.. How terrible could it be?

"Ok, Parker. I'll stay" she said smiling at the boy.

"Yeeeeeeeei!" he squealed.

The drive to the Hamburger place was spent by Parker telling 'Dr. Bones' all about his school friends and classes. By the time they arrived, they had moved onto Dinosaurs.

"They are so cool! I love the T-Rex because it's really big and scary and nobody would ever try to hurt him! All the bad guys would be scared of him, just like my daddy!" he babbled.

Brennan thought about correcting him, saying that Dinosaurs aren't human, therefore they are an 'it' and not a 'he'. Also how even Tyrannosaurus Rex can have predators, despite being 'big and scary' but she remembered that he was five years old. She also understood that he was saying that he was proud of his father. That, she could relate to.

Booth was going to indicate to Brennan not to correct Parker. He could see the wheels turning in her head and pointing out all the inaccuracies of his son's speech. He knew her, and he knew exactly how much she hated inaccurate facts. On the other hand, he was completely touched by his sons candor and comment. Before he could react and indicate Brennan to simply nod, she surprised him.

"Yes, your daddy is certainly a person that can scare bad guys. He is especially good at putting them away so they can never hurt anybody again" She answered the boy, while looking at her partner and smiling.

Parker beamed at her and skipped happily towards the closest table inside the restaurant they had just reached.

Booth was floored. Not only was she allowing Parker to say inaccurate things, but she was also complimenting him in her own indirect way. She was saying he was a good detective. It meant that she valued his input, that she considered him an asset. Sometimes, being partners with a genius was hard in one's self esteem and you started to feel useless. Right now, his heart was bursting with pride for getting her to have such good opinions about him. He was definitely not useless in her eyes. That meant the world to him.

"Thanks for that, Bones" he said truthfully, touching her arm with his hand and smiling gratefully at her.

"I was merely stating facts, Booth. There was nothing to thank me for" she said matter-of-factly while walking towards Parker, a little ahead of her partner. He wasn't able to see the slight blush she got in her cheeks.

During the meal, Brennan told some stories about the different animals and other discoveries she had found while in digs, being careful to keep it age appropriate. Parker asked question after question and took in every little bit of information she gave him. Brennan could see how he was genuinely curious, how he was processing and understanding everything she explained to him. Some things were a little hard to turn into 5-year-old words, but she soon figured out that she could use hard words to explain something, because Parker would listen, process it, ask the hard word's meaning, think a little again and then smile brightly as he understood the meaning of what she had said. He would then proceed to ask more questions. He was a bright child, and Brennan had a good time talking to him, even if she never expected to do so.

From time to time, she looked at her partner who stayed mostly silent. He would sometimes add certain things they had encountered in different cases, but that didn't happen much. Brennan worried she was monopolizing his time to bond with his son, and that it would bother him, but his bright smile negated that thought.

After eating and driving all the way towards Rebbeca's place, Booth got Parker off his car seat and out of the car. Brennan said goodbye, but the boy walked towards her door. She opened it and he jumped on her lap.

"It was great to see you, Dr. Bones" he said while hugging her with his arms around her neck. She hugged him back, a little awkwardly at first, but she relaxed soon enough.

"It was great to see you too, Parker. Be good at school, okay?" she asked the boy.

"I will! I have to be very good so I can get to be as smart as you some day!" with that, he let go of her, jumped off her lap and run towards the house.

Brennan felt good. She didn't like kids, and they usually didn't like her, but Parker saying he wanted to be as smart as her was nice to hear. It made her feel warm inside, which was stupid. Her body temperature had definitely not changed because of what a 5-year-old said. But she couldn't deny it, it felt like her body temp rose a few degrees in a second, and it was very nice. It had been a night filled with different feelings she wasn't used to have, and she didn't know how to feel about THAT. She certainly knew that most of them were centered on her partner and his son. Maybe it was better if she didn't think about them for now, they could certainly complicate things.

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Booth was smiling. He was happy. He had spent time with his son and his beloved partner at the same time, and they liked each other! It made him burst with pride about his partner being nice to his son, his son liking her and that final hug.. it was extremely cute! He hoped they could repeat it someday.

The night had gone much better than he expected. While Brennan told story after story, he hadn't been able to stop smiling. She believed she was bad with kids, that they didn't like her, but Parker was clearly an exception to that rule. Maybe, it wasn't that she was bad with kids. Maybe she felt that way because they scared her. She felt that most people couldn't understand what she was saying, and with children that would be even more notorious. She didn't have faith in herself; she didn't trust herself to be able to handle them. Well, he definitely trusted her, and he was going to help her with that. She was his partner, his friend and if he was truthful to himself, so much more. How much more was something he didn't particularly want to figure it out. For now, he was happy. They had a lovely evening and he got to spend time with the most important person in his world and with his partner at the same time. To him, that was Heaven.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Here is chapter 2! I had some time to write, so decided to do it today. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed and favorited (is that a word?) the story! Also to a special reader that sent me a relly long, detailed and awesome private message. I decided to continue writing. If you believe this story can be improved, please PM me!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Bones!**

 **With no further ado... here we go!**

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It had been three days since she had dinner with Parker and her partner. Brennan still didn't know what to think of how she felt about that day, nor Parker, nor anything for that matter. Feelings were so complicated. They weren't factual, they weren't measurable, they were simply there. She had tried not to think about it, but she was a scientist. She couldn't omit evidence because it was inconvenient or difficult to catalogue. She had to figure out how it mattered and where it fit in with what she already knew.

She had been able to figure out what she felt at the beginning of that day when she looked at the family sitting in front of her, though. She believed it was a little jealousy and longing. When her parents disappeared and her brother abandoned her, she was left alone. She spent three years trying, and failing, to fit into different families. She had wanted so bad to find someone who would be there for her unconditionally, but it simply didn't happen. By the time she was eighteen, she had given up. She had decided that unconditional love didn't exist, that love itself was simply a mix of chemical reactions. Science had never let her down, so she trusted what it told her. She knew that a part of her still wanted a family, and that is why she had been jealous of the situation in front of her. Parker had unconditional love in the form of his father. Booth loved him more than life itself and would never abandon him willingly. She also longed to be a part of a family, maybe even that particular one. Of that particular thought, she wasn't completely sure about, so it was better not to think about it.

The rest of that evening, that she had named D-Day, was still a complete mystery. Body temperature rise and electricity running from your head to toes was not a scientific possibility. It was new to her. It was relatively similar to pleasure, but at the same time very different. What she did know, was that she now could understand the expression "heartwarming" to its full extent.

She was also experiencing a new feeling. It had appeared the day before and, at first, she believed it was a very mild heart attack. She felt as if her heart was constricting, even though she was as healthy as she had always been. She double checked it, just in case. Her analysis had led her to believe it was connected to Parker as it got worse every time she thought about the boy. Evidence had also told her that the feeling would lessen a little while she was in presence of Booth, but it never fully disappeared. She had also surprised herself that same morning while shopping for groceries. She had picked up some Peanut Butter, even when she usually found it to fat-filled for her tastes. But seeing the buttery concoction had made her think of Parker, and how he had said he loved taking PBJ sandwiches for lunch at school.

Her musings were interrupted by the sudden ringing of her office phone.

"Brennan" she answered.

"Dr. Brennan? This is Rebecca Stinson, Parker Booth's mother" said a female voice on the other side of the line. Why was Rebbeca calling her? Had something happened to Parker? Or Booth?

"Yes, Rebecca. Hello, Did something happen to Parker?" she asked worriedly.

"No, no. I'm calling because Parker hasn't stopped talking about you, and how cool your stories were. He has been asking to see you or talk to you every five minutes for the last three days. I finally gave up and looked the Jeffersonian number up. I hope you don't mind" the woman explained.

Brennan was in shock. Surely Rebecca was exaggerating, but, even if she was, Parker had asked about her enough times to force his mother to find her number and call her. There it was! That tingling feeling had come back! She could also tell that her heart constriction had mostly disappeared. That was an interesting piece of evidence. Now she needed to give an answer to Rebbeca.

"No, I don't mind." She said eagerly. She wanted to talk to the boy too.

"That is great. Would you mind speaking to him over the phone?" Rebecca asked.

"I would like that very much, Rebbeca" Brennan stated. Why would Rebbeca think she would mind talking to Parker? He was such a nice boy.

"Thank you. I will transfer the phone over to Parker. See you, Dr. Brennan"

"Bye, Rebbeca"

"Dr. Bones! Is that really you?" asked a little-boy voice on the other side of the line.

"Yes, Parker. It is really good to hear from you. Have you been good at school?" she asked him happily.

"Yes! I learnt how to write my whooole name! It was really hard at first because it has a lot of difficult letters, but I tried really hard and finished it before everybody else! I kept the paper so I can show it to you! When did you learn to write your name? Was it hard? Can you show me how to write your name so I can add it to my 'names paper'? I have to learn to write mummy and daddy's name too. Can you teach me? " the boy babbled.

"Well Parker, congratulations on writing your name! I had a really hard time doing it when I was your age because my name is really long. Writing Temperance Brennan was too hard, so I remember I chose to write Tempe Brennan instead. If you want me to teach you how to write my name, you should learn the short version too. I don't know if I will be able to teach you, though. I don't usually see you much, and when I do, you are spending time with your father and I wouldn't want you to see him less" she answered patiently. She was really excited, though. Parker liked her and that made her feel good. She liked being able to talk to the boy and hear that he wanted to write her name in his "name paper". It sounded important, as if he considered her almost as close as his mother and father.

"If I can ask my mummy to take me to see you, would you teach me to write all the names? Daddy always says you are the smartest lady he knows, so you have to be able to teach me, right?"

"I would love to teach you whatever you want, Parker. If you can come to the Jeffersonian we can certainly spend some time learning how to write all the names you want" she hoped he could be able to convince Rebbeca to bring him to her office.

"Mummy says that if I promise to stop asking to call you all the time I can visit for a few hours this Friday after school. Can I, please Dr. Bones?" he begged with his cute little-boy voice.

"If your mother agrees, then you certainly can, Parker. It would be very nice" she smiled. She was going to see him again! Why was she so exited? She had seen him only a few amount of times. What was happening to her? Why was she having all these feelings?

"Mummy said yes! Thank you Dr. Bones! I can't wait! When will it be Friday?" he asked excitedly.

"Well, Parker. Today is Tuesday. Tomorrow is Wednesday, the day after that is Thursday and the day after that is Friday!" Brennan explained.

"But that's too far away! Can't Friday be tomorrow?" he pleaded. He sounded sad.

"I'm sorry Parker. No matter what I say, tomorrow will still be Wednesday. But if we wait until Friday, you have two full days to practice writing your name and then you can show me how fast you are getting and everything you learn at school during those days! You will have a lot of things to show me!" she replied.

"Okay. I will save everything I do at school so I can show you when I see you! Mummy is saying that I need to go so I can eat dinner. I'll miss you Dr. Bones!" Parker said sadly.

"I'll miss you too, Parker" she added. Missing somebody was not something she had experienced before. Well, not besides missing her parents. But now that she thought about it, missing Parker was possibly what she had been feeling that 'constricted' her heart. She had forgotten how that felt.

When the call was over, she sighed. She had identified another feeling, but it brought even more questions. People don't miss everyone they know, they miss special people. But, what makes this people special? Why didn't she usually miss Angela if she was her best friend? She definitely cared about the artist, so why didn't she miss her?

Maybe it was because she would usually be with her every day, except for the weekends, and then she was distracted with other things. What about Booth? She didn't see him every day. Well, she did, actually. Whenever they didn't have a case, he would appear with take out and force her to leave the lab at 'normal hours'. Would she miss him? Yes, she probably would. But, why do you miss people? Do you miss everyone you care about? Did that mean that she already cared about Parker? Yes, she did. She sighed. Feelings were so tiring.

She heard a knock at her door. It was Booth coming to get her for dinner.

"Hey Bones! Had a good day?" he asked smiling at her.

She smiled back and said.

"Yes. I did. I'll be ready to go in a couple of minutes. How was your day?" she asked while closing every window open in her computer. She was done for the day anyway.

"Filled with paperwork, and you know how much I hate paperwork! Is it bad to wish for a murder?" whined Booth.

"Yes. But I do too" she said, smiling at him. Her heart was a little less tight than how it had been a few minutes ago. Yes, she definitely had missed him too. She really did care about him, a lot.


	3. Chapter 3

The ride towards Wong Fu's was spent in quiet contemplation. She didn't really mind not talking, as she still had plenty of things in her mind to figure out. She knew she had missed Booth, but that wasn't logical. Missing someone had a scientific explanation, but she didn't understand why it was happening with Booth and Parker. Scientifically, when you are with someone important to you, you produce progesterone (in her case- testosterone in males), and used neurotransmitters like dopamine or serotonin. Secreting all this hormones for a long period of time is addictive, and when not in the presence of the aforementioned individual, you start withdrawal. Missing someone was the consequence of abstinence. That part made sense, her body was used to every chemical secreted while in the presence of her partner, and it was possible that the night she spent with Parker produced such high concentrations of chemicals, that it made her addicted in only one day. What didn't make sense was why she was producing these chemicals in the first place.

In order to begin production of these addictive hormones, you needed a certain type of relation to the person that is encouraging this production. In this case, Booth. Usually, it happens with family, romantic partners or close friends. Brennan was tempted to say that Booth was simply a close friend and leave it at that, but it wasn't that easy. Angela was her best friend, but she didn't miss her during the day. So, what made Booth different? If he wasn't part of her family, nor a close friend, what did it leave? She supposed that chemical releases produced by Booth's presence were stronger than Angela's. That was usually related to what people called "being in love" instead of simply "loving" someone. That was usually what made the difference between friends and lovers. But, it couldn't be that, could it?

She believed that love didn't exist because it was simply a release of chemicals like dopamine and norepinephrine, it wasn't real. But, why were those same releases feeling so real right now? The mere action of being next to Booth in the SUV had every chemical level in her body off the charts. Did knowing the names of the neurotransmitters involved in what she was feeling make it any less strong? No, it didn't. She was feeling something, and she could only label it as love. Was she 'in love' or was it the more generic form of love? She sighed. This was getting more complicated every time she thought about it.

She knew that whatever she was feeling towards her partner had been there for an indeterminately long period of time, but she hadn't acknowledged it before. Those weird, and still unnamed, feelings she had during D-day had made her more conscious about what she was feeling, and now she knew that there were a great deal of them to analyze. Besides, being physically next to her partner and in such close quarters as a car wasn't helping. She needed to think about this, but it was probably better if she did it while alone and not under the influence of whichever chemical was making her stomach flutter.

She looked outside of her window and that's when she noticed they weren't going the way she thought they were.

"Where are we going?" She asked Booth

"I told you Wong Fu's was closed today, and that we should get some take out and eat it somewhere. You nodded your head" He answered confusedly. "I asked if my place was ok and you nodded your head again. Are you ok, Bones?"

Had she been so distracted with her thoughts that she didn't notice she agreed to go to her partner's place? They were going to spend time in private and close quarters, with his bedroom nearby? Thing were getting harder and harder for her.

"Bones?" Booth asked again

"Yes, I was merely thinking. Of course dinner at your place is OK" she added. She did a 'mental note to self' about being distracted while in the presence of Booth. It may result in disaster.

They arrived at her partner's place and got everything needed to eat their take-out without further issues. Booth whined about how boring paperwork was, how she had to help with it for their next case and soon, their conversation veered into how her day had gone.

"Oh, Booth, I forgot to tell you that your son called me today. Well, actually Rebecca called me because Parker wanted to talk to me" she told her partner.

"Why? Did something happen? Is he ok?" Booth started worrying.

"No, nothing happened. Parker wanted to talk to me. He told me he learnt how to write his name at school and he asked me if I could teach him how to write some other names. We agreed that I could, so Rebecca is taking him to the Jeffersonian this Friday afternoon. Is that ok with you?" she asked the FBI agent. She hadn't thought about how Booth might not like it if she spent time with his son without him.

"Really? Of course it is ok with me! I love the idea of you teaching my son. I'm glad he liked you so much he forced his mother to call you. This is great! Would you mind having him until dinner so I can join you and get to see him that night? It's not my weekend with him and I don't know when I'll see him again" Booth told her, and he sounded happy. Looking at him, while his eyes sparkled with what she believed was happiness and contentment, made her feel warmth all through her body.

"Of course. I need to call Rebbeca and arrange for a meeting time and when will she be picking him up. Maybe I can make it so you take him home after dinner?"

"That would be great, Bones! But, if Rebbeca doesn't want me seeing him outside of my allotted time, don't worry about me. Just tell her to pick him up whenever you are ready" Booth added, a little less happy this time.

"No, Booth. That would not be efficient. You driving Parker home is the most efficient way, so I see no trouble convincing Rebbeca about that" she said. And she meant it. She was going to talk Rebbeca into letting Booth see his son for dinner on Friday; whatever it cost she would make him happy again. She needed to see him like that again. It made her happy too, which was another strange piece of evidence.

Booth smiled at her "Let's hope she sees it that way too, Bones"

It hit her then and there that he believed Rebbeca didn't like it when he spent time with Parker. But, that didn't make any sense. Clearly she knew that he was a great father and a good influence on the boy, right? Did Booth know that? Sometimes she believed that her partner wasn't so sure about it.

"You do know that you are a great father, don't you?" she asked him bluntly.

"I do ok, I think, most times. But I think I could do better" he sighed.

"Booth. You are and incredible father to Parker, and you do the best you can with what you have. Despite the limited time, it is clear that the boy loves you and cherishes anything you tell him. He knows you are his father, and he loves spending time with you. You are doing the best you can, Booth. And what you do is more than enough. It's great" she told him. She could see how he doubted himself, and she hoped that she could say the right thing and get him to believe in himself. "You must know that, right Booth? Why do you doubt yourself?"

Booth stayed quiet for a long time, looking straight at her, as if deciding if she was worth telling a certain secret or not. Finally, he sighed.

"I think Rebecca might believe I'm like my father. He wasn't a good man, Bones. He wasn't a good father either" He said. She didn't understand. Booth didn't have a good father? She didn't know much about his childhood, he had never told her. Now that she thought about it, he had always stayed away from that topic. But, it didn't matter. She didn't care about not being told of this before, she didn't care if he wasn't going to tell her details. No matter who his father was, Booth was a good father, and he needed to know that.

"No Booth. She doesn't. Nobody who can see you with Parker would ever believe that you are less than great with him. You show him you love him, you protect him, you give him what he needs. That is what a great father does, Booth. And that is what you do with Parker. Whatever your father was, you are not him" she told her partner, looking him straight at the eye. She took his hand in hers and added "You are a good father, Booth. I will not let anybody believe anything different, not even you" while squeezing his hand.

He smiled sadly. "You don't even know what my father was, Bones. How can you say that I'm not like him? You are jumping to conclusions and that isn't like you"

"That is not true, Booth. I once told you that if I cannot trust the system, I can trust you. I can trust you, Booth. I do trust you. And you say he wasn't a good man. I believe you and I trust your judgement. He was not a good man. But you are, Booth. You are a great man. I see it every day, from stopping criminals to guiding me through interrogations and talks with families. You help everybody you face. You are a good man, and no matter what happened in your past, whatever you did or didn't do, right now, you are a good man, who does good things. You are also a good father and I have evidence about all that"

He smiled at her, but she knew he didn't truly believe her words. She needed more.

"Would you tell me what kind of man you father was? And why do you think you might be like him?" she asked kindly.

He stayed quiet. He looked reluctant, as if he didn't want her to know any of those things. After almost a minute, he spoke.

"My father used to be a pilot during Vietnam. When he came home, he became a barber. He also started drinking. He had a temper, and that doesn't mix well with alcohol. My mother was his favorite target, but once she hurt her too much and she had to go to the hospital. She never came back. She didn't die, but she took the opportunity to run away. Since that moment, I became my father's favorite target. Sometimes, he would go after my younger brother, but I would step in between them, take his ire. I might not be an alcoholic, Bones. But I am an addict too. I also have a temper, and you can't deny that. I'm an aggressive addict. How different am I from my father?" He looked like he had admitted something terrible. Like he was expecting her to be afraid and run away. Well, she wasn't.

"There is a difference between getting mad and hitting a wall or getting into a fight with a murder suspect and being abusive, Booth. You work with bad people, people who like hurting others. Emotions come with the job, all kinds of emotions. Sometimes, you need to get them out. I do it with self-defense classes; you do it in some other way. Nothing you have ever done has come close to abuse. I know, not believe, know that you would never hit me, or Rebbeca, or any other woman in your life. Much less your son. You have a temper, yes, and so do I. So do many people. But how we choose to deal with that makes us who we are. And you chose the right way, Booth. You are a good man. And about your addiction? You are dealing with it. You haven't gambled in two years, right? To me, that sounds handled. You might relapse, but you will fight it again. You will win again. Did your father do that? Fight his addiction? Try to deal with it?" she asked her partner.

He shook his head. "One day, my grandfather found him hitting me. He stopped him and kicked him out of the house. He never came back and Pops raised Jared and me" he said.

"See? You are different than your father. You are an addict, but you were brave enough to deal with it. It doesn't make you less of a man, less of an FBI agent. You are still good. You are still different from you father. You are still the best FBI agent in DC and the best partner I could ask for. You are not your father, and no one believes you are. Parker loves you, he admires you. You make him happy, you make him safe. You are a good father" she stated with such conviction that even she had to wonder where all this was coming from.

He looked at her so deeply, trying to find the truth in her words. At some point, he found it. He squeezed her hand, smiled at her and whispered "Thanks Bones"

He couldn't believe it. He had told Bones all about his father, and she hadn't moved. He had expected her to see how weak he was, ever since he was a boy. How he had become everything he had hated since he was little. An addict with a temper. But she didn't run. She didn't even move. She took his hand a said the most amazing things. She was a scientist. She was blunt. She didn't lie. She meant everything she said. And wow. Wasn't she supposed to be bad at feelings?

He couldn't deny what she said. It was true. He handled his addiction, his father didn't. He had never hit a woman, his father used to do it all the time. He would never hit Parker, and his father, well… She was right. He wasn't his father. She honestly believed that and that made him believe it too. She wasn't scared of what he might become, of what he might turn out to be. She believed in him. And he was going to make her proud.

God! how could he not love this woman? This brilliant, gorgeous and loyal woman with such a big heart. Yes, she had a big heart, even if she didn't always understand what it was saying. Sadly, she only saw him as a friend, a colleague. It didn't matter though, having her in his life as his partner was enough. It had to be enough because it was all he was going to get.

The next morning, after waking up from dream after dream about Booth, she had to admit it. She was in love with her partner. All night she had dreamt about him. Some dreams were quite physical, but most were about them together. Everything he had told her the night before had made her realize that she wanted to be there for him. She identified that strange impulse she got a few times the night before as an urge to kiss him, hug him and tell him everything is going to be ok. That was something new to her, but it certainly felt real. She was in love with Seeley Booth, not that she knew what to do with that revelation.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: I am SO sorry for the delay! I got behind in my study schedule and then I had to do my final exam (masters degree) last weekend! It was really crazy! So I apologize for taking this long, but it should be okay now. This chapter is twice as long as the three before this one, so that should be good, right? I hope you enjoy, and if you have any critics or mistakes you found, please PM me! I'm also super bored now that I have nothing to do with my life (until I get my results in a month) so I would enjoy it if you PM me so we can talk. For example, I find it extremely annoying that after 6 years of following the show and wanting to get BB together, they didn't even show it on screen! I mean,(SPOILER ALERT) a hug on** bed **and a phrase like "I'm pregnant, you are the father" were NOT enough for me!**

 **Anyway, here is the chapter!**

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It was finally Friday. She had been getting increasingly nervous as the week progressed, but the day she would spend a whole afternoon with Parker had arrived. It was good, as she was anxious and hadn't been able to concentrate properly on her job for an abnormally long time. The day before she had decided to cut her losses and stop working at all by 4 o'clock. She chose to do some research instead. There weren't any of her typical research topics, though. This time, she was trying to figure out how to speak to children and what was appropriate to teach to a 5-year-old. She also needed to know what to feed the child during the afternoon and how long could they actually concentrate. The problem was that her research hadn't had the expected effect. It hadn't calmed her down and given her that "ready for anything" feeling she was used to. It actually had the contrary effect. What if Parker figured out that she had no idea how to treat him? What if he decided that she was too emotionally awkward to spend time with her? What if she said the wrong thing and made him cry? And, worse of all, What would Booth say if anything happened to the boy? Would his opinion of her change? Would he stop taking her to dinner, or simply spending time with her?

It was extremely complicated. She wished she had told Parker that she didn't have time, or that she wasn't able to teach him anything. But, at the same time, she was overly excited to see the boy again. She wanted to spend time with him. She wanted him to like her. She had not been so invested in getting anyone to like her in a long time, and she had forgotten how exhausting it could be. Rationally, she knew that she was behaving illogically. Most adults dealt with children without any grave issues. Besides, women were genetically and socially predisposed to be able to care for their progeny. Moreover, she had studied the way women in different societies related to their offspring as an anthropological way of securing the continuing of the species. Surely, she would be all right.

She sighed. Thinking about Parker coming wasn't solving any of her problems. She had adequately prepared herself, she was interested in having a positive outcome and she was committed to doing her best. Surely that would be enough. Overthinking the situation was not going to solve her issues with it. It was better if she went back to work.

By 3:20 pm, she received a call informing her that a Miss Rebbeca Stinson and a Mr. Parker Booth were looking for her. She told the guard to let them in, and not five minutes later, she had a 5-year-old boy fiercely hugging her legs. She kneeled on the floor so she could hold him properly.

"Dr. Bones! Dr. Bones! I missed you!" said a muffled voice in her neck. It made her body temperature increase and the heat to course all through her body. It was a decidedly good feeling.

"I missed you too, Parker. I am very happy to see you" she said while letting the boy go. "Good afternoon, Rebbeca. Will you be staying?" she added, this time talking to the woman that was standing at her door, not having put a foot inside her office.

"Good afternoon, Dr. Brennan. No, I won't be staying. I have a very busy day at work. Are you absolutely sure you want to stay with Parker for the afternoon?" The blond woman asked.

Brennan might not know how to read body language, but she was relatively sure that fidgeting and tightened shoulders meant Rebbeca was uncomfortable. Why was that?

"Yes, I find Parker to be a very enjoyable company" she smiled looking at the boy.

"Ok. If you say so. Parker, I will see you later after Daddy drops you off at home, Ok?" Said the woman kneeling in front of her son and saying goodbye to him.

"Bye, Mommy," said the boy.

After Rebbecca had left, Brennan led Parker towards her desk and told him to sit on the chair she had brought for him.

"Can I show you how I write my name? I've been practicing really hard so I can write it as fast as mummy can write hers!"

"Of course, Parker. That is why you are here. You can use the paper in front of you. Do you need me to give you a pencil or did you bring your own?" Brennan asked Parker.

"I brought everything, Dr. Bones!" he said while moving towards his backpack and taking a pencil case out of it. He showed her how to write his name and she congratulated him on being very good. Of course, the lines were irregular, the sizes of the letters didn't match each other and he hadn't followed the paper's horizontal lines, but it was readable. It clearly said Parker, so she assumed it was a good enough beginning. She corrected him a couple of times, trying to make the writing tidier, and the boy seemed to love the chance to improve. After what she deemed an acceptable attempt at his name, they proceeded to the next one.

"Which name do you want to learn next, Parker?"

"Yours, Dr. Bones! Can you teach me how to write your name? You said it was too long so you made it shorter? Can I learn that?" It was metaphorically heart-warming to see this little person being so interested and excited about such an unimportant thing about herself. He cared, it was obvious. But, why? He had merely seen her a couple of times, yet he was showing clear signs of enjoying her company. She felt touched.

"Yes, of course. I believe I used to write 'Tempe Brennan' instead of 'Temperance'. It was too long and exhausting. Here, let me write it on top of the page so you can do it underneath." She did exactly that and the 5-year-old started trying to imitate the name. Brennan thought he looked adorable. He had the tip of his tongue sticking out of his mouth, and he was squinting a little. He did that for a while, and he didn't stop until he was apparently satisfied with his work.

"Look, Dr. Bones! I did it!" he said after having written a passable imitation of her name.

"You certainly did, Parker! That is a really good try. Do you want to try another name? or have you tired already?" she asked kindly. It had already been 30 minutes and she had read that children didn't have such a long attention span.

"I can do one more! Amy told me how to write mummy and daddy. Can you teach me how to write 'Dr. Bones'? That way, I can write it under your figure in my drawings!" he said excitedly.

Drawings of her? Why did he care so much? He had barely seen her a few times, and they had never spent quality time together. She wrote 'Dr. Bones' in the top of the paper and allowed the boy to practice while she thought about him. He was a sweet child, attentive, intelligent and caring. He was a credit to his parents. But, none of those qualities explained why he liked her. She guessed it was better if she asked him.

"Hey Parker, Can I ask you a question?" she interrupted the boy's concentration. The boy put the pencil down next to the paper and looked at her. It was a clear sign of acceptance. He was waiting for her question, so she proceeded. "Why do you seem to like me so much?"

"Because I do" he answered smiling. 'Ok, maybe I need to be more explicit with him' she thought to herself, so she added "What I mean, Parker, is why do you like me? You haven't been with me many times"

"But you've always been nice to me, and Daddy said you are the smartest woman he knows and that you are kind and that I can trust you. And he is always happy when you are with us, he smiles a lot. And Daddy told me that if something happens and I can't get to mummy or him then I should try you. And you are pretty and you smell nice and you have a really cool job and you don't mind spending time with me and you didn't say you had to work even when grown ups always work on Fridays. And I get to see Daddy and you at dinner at the same time!"

Booth had said she was smart, kind and worthy of his child's trust? Intelligent she could understand, but she didn't believe she was kind. He was wrong with that, even if emotions were his specialty, right? Did he see something that she didn't? He wasn't usually wrong at those things. And 'he is always happy when you are with us'? Was that true? Did being with her make him feel good? She knew that being with him made her feel good, but she has already figured out that she was in love with him. She had decided not to do anything about it, though. It was too dangerous. She has too much to lose. But what if he felt the same way? It didn't matter. Their friendship was still the most important thing she had, and she simply couldn't risk to lose it. She decided she needed to address what Parker had said about her saying yes to seeing him even if it was Friday.

"Of course I don't mind spending time with you, Parker. I like you very much and I am happy to spend as much time with you as possible, and I will never be too busy for that". Yes her job might need her and she would usually spend most of her day in the lab, but just as she would leave everything to help Booth or Angela with anything that was troubling them, she would do the same with Parker.

"That is why I like you so much, Dr. Bones. Mummy works a lot and when she comes home from work she is usually tired, so she can't help me with homework and daddy is always busy with cases so I don't see him either. But when I called you the other day you said you could teach me and spend time with me even when my mummy had told me that you would be working. That was nice"

It sounded as if the boy believed that work was more important for Booth than him, and she knew that was not true. Maybe she needed to explain why he couldn't see his father more.

"Your father would do the same if he could, Parker. But, he and your mother agreed that it was better if you lived with your mother and saw your father only during some weekends. That doesn't mean that your father doesn't love you, Parker. He would spend every day with you if he could, but wouldn't you miss your mother if you did?"

The boy looked confused, had she made a mistake talking about his parents? It wasn't her place, but she had felt forced to intercede in the name of Booth. Her partner would never abandon his child, and Parker sounded as if he believed his father didn't want him much.

"But I don't see mummy much either. She is always at work and usually, she comes home after my bedtime so I don't see her. I spend most of the day with Amy and she leaves when mummy arrives. Amy puts me to bed and makes me take baths and tells me stories. Mummy doesn't because she is always working and she said that Daddy was always working too" said the boy frowning.

Brennan was frowning too. She didn't understand what Parker was telling her. She understood the importance of a job, she usually stayed at the Jeffersonian until late every day, but she also believed that parents should try to be there for their children. Working was okay, but not even putting your son to bed? And why was Rebbeca lying to Parker? He couldn't see much of his father because his mother was always canceling his weekends. She had seen it happen many times. She needed to talk to Booth about this. It wasn't her place to tell Parker what she was thinking.

"Your father loves you very much, and he wants to spend as much time with you as possible, never doubt that, Parker. Now, why don't we go find a snack? There is a machine in the break room and you need to tell me what you want, ok?"

"Ok, Dr. Bones! I'm really hungry!" he said getting excited again.

"If you are anything like your father, you probably are always hungry," said Brennan smiling at the boy.

"Not always. I'm never hungry just after eating. But I ate a long time ago!" said the boy taking Brennan's hand and leading her outside of her office. When they reached the hallway, he stopped, looked at both sides and then turned around and looked at Brennan.

"I don't know where we are going. Where is the break room?" asked Parker.

Brennan smiled. She was glad that he was smiling again. He had been sad while talking about his parents. She led the boy towards the vending machine and asked him to choose one snack. The boy picked a bag of potato chips and asked if he could have a juice box too. Brennan agreed that proper hydration was important, so she paid for the juice too.

They went back to Brennan's office and the boy told the scientist all about his little league and how his father coached it. He said it was really fun and that his father was really good. Except for one time.

"He showed the movement Jack was supposed to do, but while he was showing how to throw the ball, it slipped from his fingers and hit Connor, who was standing on the other side. It was too strong because Connor fell to the floor and then had trouble breathing for a while. But then he was okay. Connor's mummy was really mad, but Connor said that it was cool that daddy was so strong and if he could teach us how to be that good. Daddy was all red in the face, but we all started laughing about it later. It was super cool! And there was this other time that the ground was all muddy and daddy was showing us how to run and he slipped and fell with his face in the mud. He even swallowed some of it! It was really funny!" The boy was laughing while remembering and Brennan was too. He was also acting what he was telling and it was extremely amusing. She could see it in her mind. Booth, showing off his athletic abilities and, suddenly, slipping to the ground and eating mud. She could guess why she had never heard that story before. It wasn't that congruent with his tough-alpha-male-FBI-agent facade.

By the time Booth arrived to take them to dinner, both Brennan and Parker were laughing heartily on her sofa.

"Am I interrupting?" said the FBI agent smiling at the scene.

"Daddy!" said Parker in between laughs "I was telling Dr. Bones what happened to you the day it rained and I had Little League!" he continued laughing. At the reminder, and because of the influence of Parkers contagious laugh, Brennan started laughing all over again.

"Yes, Booth. Parker was telling me all about your gracefulness in the mud" She looked at her partner and saw him blush. Blushing Booth? That was something new to her.

By the time they had calmed down and reached the pizza place where they were eating that night, all of them were having fun. Booth had told Parker some stories - or more likely PG versions of them - about him and Bones on the field, Brennan had told stories about all the places she had visited and Parker had talked about his friends in school and how gross girls were with all their cooties.

The worst part of the day was when they arrived at Rebbeca's place. Parker didn't want to leave them, he didn't want his father to go, and he wanted his Dr. Bones to promise to teach him again the following week if his mother allowed it. Once Brennan and Booth were back in the car, both of them were heartbroken.

"Is it always this bad?" asked Brennan quietly while Booth was driving.

"No, not always. This time it was worse. This only happens when he has an abnormally good time with me. When we talk more than usual or when I allow him to sleep with me or give him a lot of hugs" He sighed sadly.

That answer reminded her of what Parker had told her during the afternoon.

"I wanted to talk to you about something. It is difficult and I would prefer some privacy. Would you like to come upstairs with me to my apartment?" She said.

He looked at her seriously. When he saw her expression, he nodded.

Inside Brennan's apartment, they grabbed a couple of beers and headed to the living room.

"While I was talking to Parker, he said some things about how he sees his situation with you and Rebbeca. I want to tell you what he said, and what he answered, but I need you to listen to me without interrupting, ok?" he nodded.

After retelling what had happened that afternoon, she added. "I know it is not my place to say anything about it, but I care about Parker. He feels like he is not important enough to his mother and she has blatantly lied to her son so it can be easier for her. Parker doesn't get to see you much because she cancels all the time. It is unfair that he believes that you don't care, especially because I know you, Booth. You do care. You care a lot. I believe you should talk to Parker and even to Rebbeca. She can't continue doing this. It is hurting Parker, Booth." she said seriously.

Booth looked mad. Was he mad at her for getting in the middle of something that wasn't her business?

"I can't believe she would do something like that!" he stood up and started walking around the room. "Actually, I can. She always has acted as if me seeing Parker was a favor she was doing me. But I'm his father! Even if I have no rights, I should be able to be there for my son!"

"What do you mean with 'no rights'?" asked Brennan.

"As I wasn't married to Rebbeca when Parker was born, my rights as a father are bogus," said Booth dejectedly.

"That is impossible, Booth. Isn't Parker's last name Booth? You must have been recorded as his father. And knowing you, I believe you pay alimony every month, don't you?"

"Yes, but there is no legal paper that states anything. Rebbeca told me she could simply forbid me to see him. She is a lawyer, she knows about that stuff. I can't lose my son, Bones. I can't" He said, sitting down and looking at her. She needed to help him.

"Booth, I may not be a lawyer, but I do know something about child custody. I researched it a little after Russ disappeared. If paternity was acknowledged, then you have every right to petition for visitation or even custody. Unmarried fathers aren't likely to receive full custody of the child, but they are definitely allowed to see them. I believe that if you tried to legalize whatever agreement you and Rebbeca have, it would show Parker that you really love him and want to see him more than you do now"

Booth was looking at Brennan. He couldn't stop looking at her. He took a deep breath and said "Are you sure? If I were to go to court, would the judge allow for a regular visiting schedule?"

"If that is all you want, yes. I'm sure. You are a good father, Booth. You have a great record with the FBI. You would need to show that you would be able to actually be present while Parker is with you, but you and I have a lot of contacts, Booth. We can make it happen"

"We?" asked Booth looking at Brennan as if she had lost her mind.

"Of course, Booth. I love Parker, I want him to be happy. I also care for your happiness, Booth. I know how much it hurts you to be unable to see Parker regularly. I want to help. I need to help" she said, smiling at him and lightly touching his left bicep.

"Thanks for that, Bones. I will talk to Rebbeca, but I can't take her to court. I will need a lawyer and they are expensive. I don't have that kind of money and my credit is still destroyed from when I gambled." Looking at his face was heartbreaking.

"Booth, I can pay for the court proceedings," She said and as soon as he started to protest, she added "You can see it as a loan. I will be your bank and, with me, your credit is perfect. I trust you, Booth. I know you are good for it. I would give you the money, but I know you won't allow it, so I offer you a compromise. If you want to go to court and fight for your son, I will lend the money to you."

"I don't think I could, Bones. A boy needs his mother. I did when I was his age. Parker needs Rebbeca, and I couldn't take him away from her. Living with your father is not the same, I needed my mother and she wasn't there. I needed her and she left me with my father. I won't do the same to my son, Bones. I need to convince Rebbeca to keep the schedule. That is all I can do."

"Parker is not you and you are not your father. Talk to him, Booth. He deserves to be happy, and that might not be with his mother. He thinks she doesn't care. He thinks that her job is more important than him. You might have needed your mother, but if your father had not been abusive, everything would have been different. A child needs a parent that loves him, and that puts him above everything else, someone who doesn't run away from them. Talk to Parker, find out what would really be best for him, and not what you think it's best for him because of what happened to you in the past. Parker is not you. Help your son, Booth, but do it with an open mind. What is best for him might be different from what was best for you when you were his age."

"I'll think about it, Bones. I will." He said sighing. "I need to go, it's getting late and I have a lot to think about," he said walking towards the door.

"Booth?" said Brennan when he was entering the elevator.

"Yes, Bones?"

"I meant it, Booth. I care a lot about you and Parker. If you decide to fight, I'm your bank. I once said I could be a duck when you needed your ducks in a row. Now I'm saying I can be your personal bank. I can be whatever you need, Booth." with that she closed the door and cursed in her mind 'where did that last sentence come from?' she wondered. It didn't really matter, though, she knew it was true. She would do anything so he could be happy.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Here we go! Thanks to those of you who followed or favorited the story and special thanks for all the reviews and PM's. My life was a little less boring for talking to you! I had some trouble writing this chapter because of the male POV (Booth's, of course). I hope you like it!**

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The elevator door closed and Booth was left alone with his thoughts. There was so much in his mind that he couldn't focus on a single thing. Parker was probably feeling lonely, possibly even a little abandoned. Rebbeca was lying to his son and making him look as if he didn't care. Bones was offering to help with money for a custody battle and being extremely supportive. She also used a phrase that gave him tingles in his stomach.

He decided to go walk along the Mall. Maybe the cold air would help clear his head.

First of all, he needed to focus in the most important part of the night. Parker was feeling unimportant and that simply couldn't continue. He needed to fix it and he knew he couldn't just do it on the phone, therefore he would need to wait until Parker was home with him. That would happen the following weekend and he would need to wait for a week. What would he tell him? Probably he would need to explain how Rebbeca and he weren't together and that meant that Parker could see his father only when his mother allowed it. That was going to be difficult, but he knew he could do it. He needed to do it for his son and that was the best motive he could have.

He would also have to ask him about his feelings. That was something he wasn't used to doing. Men don't usually talk about feelings, but this time it was necessary. Parker's normal daily routine was also important. If Rebbeca was leaving him alone for days it could help with custody. Was he going to fight for sole custody? He needed to think about it.

When he had been a boy he had wished so many times for his mother to come back and take him with her that it had become a daily sentiment. He would cry and ask for his mother to come save him and Jared, but it never happened. He didn't want his son to go through the same fate, but at the same time Bones was right. He had wanted his mother to save him from his father and Parker would never fear his own father. He had sworn to himself to never raise a hand against his son. If Parker really wanted to come and live with him, he would fight for him. He couldn't be like his mother. He couldn't allow his little son to wish for someone to be with him, to cure him of his loneliness. He would fight if it was needed.

If it came to a fight, he would need money. Rebbecca was a corporate lawyer and she would have contacts that could help her, but he had contacts of his own. Caroline Julian would help him find someone to represent him. Maybe she would even represent him on her own. He was also friendly with a few judges. They might be able to tell him how whichever judge takes his case feels about awarding custody to fathers. Yes, he could do it. He would need to ask for help, and he hated it, but he would do it for his son.

Bones could help too. She had plenty of contacts of her own. He still remembered how she called someone's number from her head and it ended being someone who stopped the Jeffersonian clearance investigation in the State Department. He would allow that kind of help, but her money? He couldn't take her money. He knew she was rich and that she wanted to help, but using her money was against everything he ever believed.

On the other hand, was there any other choice? He needed money if he wanted to get his son and he didn't have it. No bank would lend it to him as his credit was inexistent because of his gambling years. He would have to accept, but he would pay it back as soon as he could. Maybe a little every month? He would figure it out, but he would need to accept her offer. Being "his personal bank" sounded awful though, so he would consider it as a friendly loan.

And now he was back to Bones. She had said "I can be whatever you need" with absolute confidence and no regrets. She meant it. But, what did she mean exactly? Was he reading more into it than what it was supposed to mean? Or had she meant it as it sounded? Because he wanted to believe she meant it as if she could be his bank, friend or girlfriend. But, did she mean it? Did he have a chance with her? It didn't matter. She might have meant it or not, but now he had hope. She had changed since meeting Parker. She was more open to the boy, but also to him. It was possible she had feelings for him and had finally figured it out. He had hope, and that made all the difference in the world. Now, he needed to encourage her to keep thinking along that line. She was the most important woman in his world and he needed to show it to her.

Cam had been showing interest in him lately and he had been thinking about it, but now he couldn't do it. If anything happened with Cam, Bones might pull herself away from him and that was something he couldn't allow to happen. He might not have been with a woman in a while, but his needs would have to wait. He would give Bones her time and guide her along whichever problems she had. He had known she was 'the one' since they met, and it was time to do something about it. He needed to show her that she was what he wanted, and if he started flirting with other women, she would receive a different message. A message he could not allow to exist.

Yes, he was decided. He would do it.

* * *

Brennan had been anxious to find out if Booth was mad at her. She had told him his son was unhappy and she had offered money to help. She knew he was sensitive about money and she feared he was mad at her for insinuating he could not provide for his son. She also wanted to know what he had decided to do about Parker, but she thought that calling might make him feel she was pressuring him.

Her phone interrupted her musings. It was Booth.

"Brennan"

"Hey, Bones! we've got a case! someone was found in the trash and I need you and Hodgins at the scene. What do you think about meeting there?"

"Of course. Text me the address and I'll take the mobile lab," answered Brennan.

"Sure, Bones. See you there!" added Booth.

"Yes, bye."

She ended the call and looked at her phone for a second. Booth didn't sound angry at all, but maybe she was mistaken. It did calm her a little that he sounded just as his usual Boothy self.

By the end of the day, Brennan was exhausted. Cam had pushed and pushed about Kelly Morris being their best suspect because of her status as a foster kid. She understood that plenty of foster children chose to do illegal things, but she hated how everyone generalized it. Being a foster kid didn't make you bad, it just made it harder to trust the system and easier to do things you wouldn't otherwise do.

Her apartment doorbell rang and she found Booth outside of her door.

"Hey, Bones. I brought some take-out. Is that ok?" he asked as if expecting her to say no. She had been mad at him earlier, but now she was just sad. Did he think poorly of her for being a foster child? She sighed.

"Come in, I'll bring some plates. Do you want a beer?"

"Sure"

They sat surrounding her living room table and began eating, but Brennan was still quiet. She didn't know what to say. The silence was broken by her partner.

"Bones, you do know that I don't think any less of you for being a foster child, don't you? You have a strength that a lot of children do not, and that absence of strength is what leads them into trouble. You were stronger and pulled through. I admire that, Bones. I would never think any less of you. I know how great you are" He said, looking straight into her eyes.

She smiled "Thank you, Booth. I simply could not understand why everyone assumes foster children are bad only because they are foster children. Having no parents isn't their fault"

"Of course it isn't, Bones. They have a hard life, and you know that. How they deal with those difficulties determines what they become as adults. You chose the right path, Bones. Some other children don't. And because of them, people generalize. But, Bones? You are not a foster child anymore. You are the best forensic anthropologist in the country, a best-selling author, and a great partner. You did good, Bones. And maybe Kelly did too. We will figure it out"

She smiled properly now. Booth still liked her. He still trusted her. She was happy about that.

"Yes we will, Booth" she answered. They continued their meal talking about the case, about their lives as children and about anything they could think about.

"Bones? I wanted to talk to you about what you told me yesterday" Booth said suddenly. Brennan looked at him and asked him to continue. Was he mad? She had been pondering that question all day long. Did she screw anything up with her last sentence? She wasn't expecting to say it, but after it came out she realized she meant it. She hoped she didn't need to take it back.

"I thought about what to do about Parker and decided that I will talk to him next weekend. He is supposed to stay with me and it will be the best time to talk about everything. And if it is needed, I will fight for him, Bones. I will never abandon my son. I can't. I will do everything I can to fight for him" he said.

"I'm glad, Booth. Parker is lucky to have such a good father. Whatever you need, I can help you." she answered.

"Yes, about that. I will probably need help with money. I will do my best, but lawyers are expensive and trials take time. If your offer is still on the table, I would like to take it. I promise I will pay you every last dollar" he said fidgeting.

Every indicator showed he was nervous. He didn't feel comfortable asking her for money, but she knew it would be like that. She was happy about the choice he had made and she was proud of him for putting his son before his pride.

"Of course, Booth. We are partners, isn't that supposed to mean that we help each other? I am glad you are accepting my offer" she told him.

"Thank, Bones." he smiled charmingly at her. Her stomach tingled and she finally understood what 'Butterflies in the stomach' meant. Yes, she loved her partner and it was getting harder to ignore it.

By the time Booth left her apartment, all Brennan could think about was how she felt for him. He was always so patient with her, he always calmed her fears, he was always there. And that is what was making it so hard for her. She trusted him to stay, no matter what could happen, she knew he would be there for her. And that meant everything. She had always feared abandonment and never trusted men to stay. That had been the biggest problem she had with relationships. She didn't trust them to let them in and not hurt her, but Booth was different. He had gotten inside her walls anyway, and there wasn't anything she could do about it.

Ever since Booth had saved her from Kenton she had figured out that he would always be there for her, even if he was hurt in the process. Now, she knew that he trusted her enough to let his pride go and ask her for money. With an alpha-male like Booth, that meant a lot. She knew he was there to stay, and that scared her a lot, but it also made her feel safe. It was something she hadn't felt in a long time. Not since her parents had abandoned her.

Another thing that was different with Booth was that she didn't want anyone else flirting with him. She could see how Dr. Saroyan would touch his arm, and look at him as if she wanted to eat him. Yes, that was how Angela had described it and she knew it didn't mean she was a cannibal, but it certainly seemed as a fitting sentiment for that particular look. She had been jealous. She knew that. And that meant she had a romantic interest in her partner and that she wanted him to be hers. Not as a slave or a possession, but as a monogamic romantic partner. It didn't make sense to her, as she always believed monogamy to be stupid, but she was now seeing its benefits. She certainly didn't want to share Booth with anybody but Parker. She was also experiencing a lack of desire for anybody else. Yes, she was convinced. She wanted a stable and monogamic romantic relationship with her partner.

But, what if they broke up and ended their partnership? What if he didn't feel the same way? What if the FBI severed their partnership?

She needed to check FBI regulations. Maybe her being a consultant and not an agent might work in her favor. And if they don't work out, she would need to compartmentalize. Catching murderers was much more important than a failed relationship. She knew she could do it and Booth was still friends with Cam whom he dated in the past, so he could do it too.

Did he feel the same way as her? She didn't know. She would need to research signs of interest in male homo-sapiens and check against Booth's behavior. She did know that he was physically attracted to her. They wouldn't have kissed when they met otherwise.

Yes, she had some research to do.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry for the delay, guys! I got a bad cold and was unable to write for a few days. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and especially to Michelle Bones for supporting and adding a little to my main idea. I hope you like this chapter as it is making me really nervous!**

* * *

The week had gone by and she still hadn't been able to properly do her research. They had closed the case after figuring out that their main suspect was indeed innocent. She felt good, in a way, when she was able to show Dr. Saroyan how her theory that Kelly was the killer because she was a foster kid was wrong. She knew that it was petty to feel good for "showing her", but she had also been proven wrong. The killer had been a foster child, and not only that but their main suspect's little brother. It had been hard and she didn't feel so good about being right and Dr. Saroyan being wrong. The boy would have a terrible life, and his sister would be traumatized for years too. She had been feeling bad for a while, but Booth had talked to her and made her feel better. She was extremely glad to have him in her life.

By Wednesday she had decided to begin her research, but her first attempt at googling anything hadn't gone so good. Apparently inputting 'signs that a male homo sapiens is interested in beginning a monogamous long-term relationship with a female homo sapiens' was not a convenient avenue of research. She had decided to 'dumb down' her words and use what Booth calls 'one-dollar words', but as she had begun to think about it, her publisher had contacted her and informed her that she was behind schedule in her last two chapters. She had been writing for the rest of the week, but her mind kept going off on a tangent. She simply could not stop thinking about Booth, and she even wrote an exciting scene between Kathy and Andy, but it wasn't enough.

As it was Friday, she was expecting Parker to arrive in a few hours. Rebbeca had agreed to make his visits a weekly commitment and Brennan could not be happier about it. The only problem was that she would have no time to investigate further about Booth.

Booth was both happy and nervous about that night. As it was becoming normal, he would have dinner with his son and partner. Friday evenings had fastly become the best part of his weeks and he was anxious for it to arrive. This particular weekend, he would stay with Parker and take him to his place instead of Rebbeca's and they would spend the whole weekend together.

He looked at his watch and saw it was time to go. 'Finally', he thought. He left the Hoover and reached the Jeffersonian in less than ten minutes.

"Hey, you two," said Booth as soon as he saw his partner and son leaning over a stack of papers.

"Daddy!" answered Parker, while getting off the chair he had been sitting on and running towards his father.

"It's so good to see you, bub. How was your week?" He asked his son, who was still hugging him hard.

"Boring, daddy. Amy had to study a lot so I had to be quiet at home and I didn't have much homework so I had to watch some boring TV shows" said the boy.

"Well, bub, you can make as much noise as you want this weekend, and we can play some catch in the park. How about that?" asked Booth. He was sad his son was so lonely, but he would do something about it.

"Cool! Daddy, did you know that water can glow in the dark? Dr. Bones showed me and it was super cool!" Said an excited Parker.

"Glowing water? What did you do, Bones?"

"Technically, it was tonic water. The phosphors in the water turn bright when you shine a black light on it. It was simple, but I thought it would be fun to make different bottles in a dark room to shine by pointing a lantern at it."

"It was like those glow-in-the-dark stars that are stuck to the ceiling in my room, daddy!" said Parker smiling.

"Well, I'm glad you had fun. Are you two ready to go have some food? I'm starving"

"Me too! Me too!" said Parker while doing little jumps up and down.

* * *

They were having fun at the restaurant when Parker asked something she was not expecting.

"Daddy, is Dr. Bones your girlfriend?" asked the 5-year-old.

"No, bub. We are just partners" answered Booth. Brennan couldn't tell if he was mad or uncomfortable, but she believed it was the second.

"Dr. Bones?" asked Parker again. He was frowning.

"Yes, Parker?"

"You told me I could always ask any questions I had and you would answer with the truth, right?" He continued frowning while looking at his dad.

"Yes, I did say that Parker" she answered a little nervously. What was he going to ask her?

"Do you like my dad?"

"Of course, Parker. We are friends"

"No, Dr. Bones. I mean LIKE like him" answered Parker as if he was talking to someone considerably slower than him.

She had encountered that term during her short research. She understood that it meant 'romantically like' instead of something more platonic. She knew what the true answer was, but could she say it in front of her partner? She had promised Parker to never lie to him, so she could not say no. She would need to be truthful. She sighed.

"Yes, Parker. I do" answered Brennan.

"No, Bones. Parker means if you like me in a romantic way" said Booth, probably believing she didn't know what she was talking about.

"I know, Booth. I've read about that term before" she said without looking at him.

"Does daddy like you back?" asked Parker again.

"I don't know. You would need to ask him" answered Brennan.

"Do you, Daddy?" added the boy.

Booth stayed quiet for a minute, looking straight at Brennan and she didn't dare to break eye contact. After a while, he sighed too and answered his son.

"Yeah, bub. I do"

"I knew it! then why aren't you Daddy's girlfriend Dr. Bones?" asked Parker again.

There were so many possible answers to that question. Because they weren't sure what the other felt, because they weren't sure the other was ready for a relationship, because they didn't want to be split up as partners, and so many other logical reasons, but they all had something more important in common. They were scared.

"Well, I think we were scared to tell each other what we feel because there could be too many bad consequences" answered Brennan without looking at Booth.

"What consequences?" asked Parker again

"Well, if one of us had feelings for the other but the other didn't, it could make our partnership awkward. Or maybe the FBI could try to split us up at work and then we couldn't work together anymore. Also, there is the possibility that we could try and end up breaking up. That would make our working partnership very difficult. Grownups usually aren't very friendly with each other after a romantic breakup." she explained as best she could. Booth was absolutely quiet and staring at her, so he was useless right now.

Parker frowned again and he looked to be thinking deeply. Finally, he came to a conclusion and stated his belief.

"Daddy says that being brave is being afraid of doing something and doing it anyway. He told me you are really brave. Why aren't you being brave now?"

Booth thought she was brave? that made her feel warm inside. He was the bravest man she'd ever known. And yet, none of them had said anything. Parker's logic was flawless and she couldn't deny it.

"Well, Parker. I guess we were too scared of the consequences to be brave and do something about it. But now, you made us tell each other what we felt. We can't deny that anymore, so let us work it out on our own, ok?" she said.

"Ok. Did I help you?" the boy asked a little nervously.

"Yes, you did, Parker"

They went back to eat and changed the subject. Booth was still quiet and Brennan started to think he might feel it was a mistake, or that he didn't want her and he had lied to his son. Well, she would need to be brave and face whatever came next.

* * *

Booth was rendered speechless. His son had asked his partner a question he had been avoiding for over a year. He couldn't believe that his partner liked him in a romantic way. That was simply impossible. She didn't believe in love, she believed in satisfying biological urges. But right now, she had accepted that she had feelings for him. Was he dreaming? was she lying to make his son feel better? No, she wouldn't do that. She didn't like to lie. His brain was completely stuck in the moment she has said she liked him.

He knew he was acting idiotic, but he couldn't help it. He had just heard her say something he had only dreamt about. On the other hand, didn't he remember her saying "I can be whatever you need" the week before? He had decided to believe she didn't mean it in a romantic way, but maybe she did. He had decided to reject Cam as to not blow his chance with Bones. He knew he might have a chance with her, but it was different to hear her say it.

He spent the rest of dinner and the trip in the car thinking, but when it was time for Bones to get off the car, he decided he needed to talk to her.

"Bones?" he said quietly. Parker had fallen asleep in the back seat. When she heard him speak, her eyes widened and he could see he had shocked her by speaking, She was expecting the silent treatment.

"Yes?" She answered just as quietly.

"Would you like to go home with Parker and me so we can talk after he is in bed?"

"Ok"

The rest of the ride was quiet, and by the time they reached Booth's apartment they were both fidgeting nervously.

After Bones told Parker goodnight and he put him to bed, he left his room and found Bones waiting in his living room. He sat on the couch and looked at her. She seemed just as nervous as he was. He took a deep breath and asked the question that had been constantly on his mind during the night.

"Did you mean it? Do you have romantic feelings for me?" asked Booth while holding his breath.

She took a few seconds to answer and did it without looking at him.

"Yes, do you?" she asked and his heart broke for her. Her voice sounded so frightened, so small.

"Yes. I've had feelings for you for a long time" He answered without hesitation. He got a little closer to her and asked another question.

"Do you want to act on our feelings?" he added.

"What does that mean?" she asked frowning a little.

He smiled. He loved how innocent she was, how cute she looked when she got that little frown of hers that always came before her classic 'I don't know what that means'.

"Well, Bones. I have feelings for you, you have feelings for me. Usually, when that happens, those people date to figure out if they are good for each other. That is what I meant" he answered. What if she said she wasn't ready and runs away from him? His own mind answered his question 'You follow her, idiot'.

"You want to date me? As in a monogamous romantic relationship?" she clarified.

"Yes, exactly as that" he stated while internally smiled at her phrasing.

"Ok," she said simply.

She had agreed! He couldn't believe it! He had his chance with her! He would do anything in his power to make her see she had not made a mistake.

Smiling in a way he hadn't in years, he hugged her. He could smell her hair. Fruity shampoo and Bones. It was heaven. It relaxed him completely and made him feel as if he had entered his home. He was so happy!

She let him go and he was about to protest when he saw she was looking at him with her deep blue-gray eyes full of happiness and passion while getting closer and closer to his face. She stopped with her lips a few millimeters from his. She didn't want to be the one to initiate their first kiss, but he could do it happily.

He erased the space between them and touched her lips with his. It was light and sweet at the beginning, but soon he couldn't control himself anymore and started really kissing her. He had wanted her for so long, and the time had finally arrived. He kissed her thoroughly and let her take the lead for a while.

When they finally separated, they were both breathing fast, but smiling from ear to ear. He was so happy! He had everything he needed right there with him. His amazing son was asleep in the next room and his beautiful partner was in his arms, holding him tight.

"Does this mean that you are agreeing to have a monogamous relationship with me? I thought you didn't believe in monogamy" he asked her. He needed to know she was on the same page as him.

"I didn't. And then I met you and developed feelings for you that didn't make any logical sense. I also didn't like it very much when Dr. Saroyan flirted with you. I decided then that monogamy was the logical way to decrease jealousy. I have to tell you that knowing you will be faithful to me makes me feel better." She explained.

He smiled and hugged her again.

"You have nothing to feel jealous about, Bones. If I have you, I don't need anybody else".

She smiled and squeezed him harder. They stayed there, snuggling for a long time until Bones fell asleep. He took her in his arms and took her to his bed. He took a couple of pillows and a blanket and went to sleep on his couch. It had definitely been one of the best nights of his life. He just hoped that once he woke up, his life was still this good.


	7. Chapter 7

**I am** sooooooo **sorry for the long break! Life got** really **hectic. I found a job and moved houses and got a** grown-up life **, so writing became rather difficult! I'll really try to do better now. Here you have the next chapter. I hope you like it and as always, you are more** than **welcome to PM me and bring me back to the Bones world.**

* * *

Brennan was woken up by a noise. At first, she didn't recognize her surroundings, but a second later she recovered her wits and realized she was in her partner's room, sleeping on his bed. A bed that smelled like him. It was comforting and peaceful. Then, she heard it again. Someone was murmuring in Booth's living room. She got off the bed and approached the room where the noises were coming from. It was Booth, and he was shaking his head from side to side and mumbling something.

"No.. Stop! Please..." she heard him say. And it wasn't long before she figured out he was having a nightmare.

"Booth, wake up," she said, going nearer the coach he was sleeping on. He didn't stop mumbling or open his eyes.

"Booth, come on, wake up. It's only a nightmare" She knew touching him could be a bad idea because he could attack her while believing he was still dreaming. Maybe she could try something an attacker wouldn't do. She thought about it for a second and decided it was the most efficient route to take. She reached him and gently run her hands through his hair and at the same time started talking to him.

"Booth, wake up. I don't like seeing you in pain. Come on, Seeley, open your eyes" He stopped talking, but didn't open his eyes, so she insisted. "You're OK, Booth. You are not alone, you are only dreaming"

He opened his eyes and looked straight at her while her hands were still in his hair.

"Bones. What are you doing here?" He said.

"I woke up and you were having a nightmare. I woke you up. Being gentle was the best approach."

He smiled and looked at her with such emotion, that she could not miss it.

"Thanks for waking me up, Bones. It's certainly better than waiting until the nightmare ends. But you should go back to sleep. It's really late." he said to her.

"Booth, you have a back condition. You shouldn't sleep on the couch. I would tell you to let me stay here and allow you to your bed, but I've seen enough of your alpha-male tendencies to believe you would accept that. If this was any other day, I would go back to your room or push you into changing places, but in lieu of our new monogamous relationship, I can offer you something else. Come to bed with me. Your bed is big and we can share it without encountering any issues. It's only for sleeping anyway."

"Are you sure you don't mind?" He questioned her.

"I'm actually looking forward to it. I've often wondered how I would feel if you wrapped your arms around me in while sleeping." She said and then realized what she had admitted. She blushed.

"You have?" he smiled "I have done it many times too. Come on, let's go sleep. Tomorrow I have an important conversation with Parker. Sharing a bed with you will definitely make my day start perfectly" he added.

They went to bed and laid down beneath the sheets. It was a little awkward at first, but Booth grabbed her hand and it gave her courage to snuggle up to him. They ended up holding each other and falling asleep as if it was the most normal thing in the world. That was part of the things she liked about their relationship. It was natural, and the only reason it hadn't happen before was that they fought it with everything they had because they were scared. But everything was okay now.

It took him a while to properly take in everything his senses were telling him. His nose was smelling his favorite scent in the world, his arms could feel the warmth of the body they were surrounding. He opened his eyes and found coppery hair blocking them. That's when he felt the complete fulfillment that waking up with his partner gave him. She was everything to him. He tightened his arms a little more and kissed the side of her head. She was still asleep and he couldn't believe his luck.

That's when he heard a noise coming from the front of his bed. The door was opening slightly and he suddenly remembered that his son was staying for the weekend. He shouldn't let Parker see Bones in his bed, right? What should he do? It didn't matter what he believed now though, as Parker was staring at Bones in his father's bed frowning a little and looking as if he was deep in thought.

Booth sighed and looked at his son. The boy approached him and bluntly said:

"Does this mean that Dr. Bones is your girlfriend, now?"

"What do you mean, buddy?" said Booth, playing dumb.

"Mummy told me that Drew sleeps in her bed because he is her boyfriend. Dr. Bones is sleeping in your bed so she has to be your girlfriend, right?" the boy said frowning.

Booth sighed. He wasn't sure giving a 5-year-old the idea that people dating sleep together wasn't proper. Would he believe that once he got a girlfriend during his teenage years sleeping together would be accepted? But what could he say to him now?

"Well, buddy. What your mother told you is right, but only when you are old enough" said Booth.

"Ok. So Dr. Bones is your girlfriend now?" He clearly didn't mind the sleeping together part and was only interested in the adult's new relationship status.

"Yes, bud. She is. We talked about it yesterday and decided to date" responded Booth.

"Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay" squealed Parker happily and loudly, waking up Brennan.

The scientist opened her eyes, saw Booth still next to her and smiled.

"Good Morning," she said.

"Good Morning Dr. Bones! I'm soooo happy you are my daddy's girlfriend! Does this mean that I'll get to see you more? Are you going to live with Daddy so I can see you every time I'm here? Are you gonna be my second mummy? Will you teach me everything you know? Can we have breakfast now? I'm reaaaally hungry!" started babbling Parker.

Brennan looked like she had whiplash and Booth smiled. She looked so cute in the mornings.

"Calm down, buddy. Let's go make some breakfast so we can get rid of that hunger ok?" he asked his son. The boy smiled and run towards the kitchen.

Booth looked at Brennan and smiled. She was in his bed! With him! He leaned in, closing the space between them and pecked her in the lips.

"I'm sorry he woke you up" still wondering if he was dreaming.

"Is he always this excitable during the mornings?" she answered still a little groggy.

"Usually, yes. That's children for you. I'll go make some breakfast. You can sleep for a little while longer if you want to" he added.

"No, no. I'll be there in five minutes" she told him while getting off the bed and walking towards the bathroom.

Brennan reached the kitchen and smiled to herself. Parker was on one of the barstools talking constantly while Booth was cooking some eggs. It was a lovely scene and she felt a rush of warmth course through her body. She felt part of a family. She felt like she belonged. It was a nice feeling she hadn't had in a long time but she could recognize it in a second. She also felt like a void had been filled. A void that she didn't even know had been there. But it wasn't anymore. Booth and Parker had made sure of it.

"Penny for your thoughts?" asked Booth, getting her out of her head. She looked at him and smiled.

"This is nice," she said.

He beamed at her. His smile was one of the biggest ones she'd ever seen on him. It made her really understand the saying 'bright smile'. It was brightening up the place, it was warming her insides. It was perfect.

They had breakfast and the boys discussed their plans. Brennan didn't want to interrupt their bonding time, so she offered to go back to her place on her own. Neither Booth nor Parker allowed it though. They made it clear they wanted her there. She wasn's a stranger, she wasn't interrupting. She was a part of their family. It was such a different feeling, but also a very fulfilling one. She truly belonged with them now. She wasn't alone anymore.

The morning went by in a bliss. Parker would hug her periodically. He even hid behind her legs and held tightly to them when he got scared by a big dog in the park. Booth held her hand and kissed her every few minutes as if he couldn't get enough of her. She certainly enjoyed his kisses. He was a very accomplished kisser.

After lunch, Booth told her he needed to talk to Parker about his mother and everything Brennan had told him about her and what he had decided. He needed to know what Parker was feeling. She told him she would leave so she didn't interrupt them, but he asked her to stay as the boy had already talked about it to her.

She wasn't sure she should stay. Would she know how to handle everything? when to speak and when to stay quiet?

Booth had asked her to stay, though, and she trusted him. If he believed she should be a part of that conversation, then she would do it.

Booth was getting nervous. He was going to have a very important conversation with his son. It wasn't 'The Talk', feared by every parent everywhere, but it was highly important nonetheless.

"Hey bud, do you think you could sit down here for a bit? I wanted to speak to you about something" he asked his son.

"Was I bad, daddy?" asked the boy.

"No, bud. I just needed to talk to you about a few things" the boy nodded, paying attention to his father.

Booth took a deep breath.

"You know I love you very much, right Parker?" the child frowned but nodded. Booth continued.

"I love you so much, that I would like to spend every minute of every day hanging out with you. But your mummy and I aren't together as boyfriend and girlfriend and we don0t live together either, right?" he asked again. He needed to know Parker was following his explanation.

"Of course, daddy. Dr. Bones is your girlfriend and you are going to live with her, not mummy" he stated matter-of-factly.

Booth didn't know if he should correct him. There were more important things than the possibility of Bones living with him. He would love for that to happen, but it was not the point he was trying to make.

"What I mean, buddy is that because we live in different houses, you have to live with one of us. Usually, when things like this happen, a very important person decides that the children should live with their mummies and spend some weekends with their daddy. That is why you live with Rebbeca. Do you understand that?"

Parker thought about it for a while and then nodded.

"What I want you to know is that you would be able to see me every day if it was for me, but you mum only brings you some weekends. You are the most important person in my life, and I would choose to be with you over everything else. Even work."

"But daddy, I can't always come because mummy says you are always busy, just like she is" Parker answers.

Booth sighs. He doesn't want to say bad things about Rebbeca to his son, but he can't lie to him either.

"I know that is what she tells you, buddy. The thing is, that she is mistaken. The reason why I don't see you that much is that your mother makes every decision about you, and she doesn't want you coming that much. Maybe she misses you too much when you are not there" He said, trying to making Rebbeca sound less bad.

"But I don't see her much anyways. Even during the weekends. She is at work, or tired or with Drew."

"That is part of why I wanted to talk to you. Do you feel like spending time with you is less important that work?" Booth went straight to the point.

"Of course, daddy. She always says that she can't spend time with me because work is important and you are also working all the time"

Damn it! Rebbeca was making his son feel unimportant! and so was he.

"That is not true, buddy. If anything happened to you, I would leave work without a second thought. And I would love to spend more time with you. How much time would you like to spend with me?"

"all the time!" answered Parker confidently.

"But you have to go to school, buddy. Wouldn't you miss your teachers and friends if you were with me all the time?"

"You're right daddy. I like school. And Dr. Bones and Amy. But it would be really nice if I could see you every day. Even if it is only for a little while. You are always nice to me and make everything good"

"But if you were with me every day, wouldn't you miss your mom?"

Parker thought about it for a second.

"I don't see her everyday anyways. And I could see Dr. Bones, right?" He said looking at his partner.

She smiled and answered him.

"You can always see me, Parker"

He smiled at Brennan. She was soo good with his son, even if she thought otherwise. He was extremely glad she had agreed to stay. Simply having her next to him gave him courage.

"Parker, I want you to know that I'm going to do everything I can so you can see me as much as you want, ok?" he told his son. He knew he couldn't tell him he would go to court if necessary because he didn't want Rebbeca to find out about it and screw it up or put things in Parker's mind. He was also too young to understand. But he would fight. Bones was right. His son needed him and he would be there for him. He was going to try for full custody. If that was impossible, he would get every minute of visitation he was allowed. He was going to show Parker that he was the most important thing to him, right there next to his Bones.


	8. Chapter 8

**SO.. I'm alive! I'm sorry for disappearing, but.. , I know, that is the worst excuse ever, but I simply was uninspired to write... I never forgot you all, though! Reviews, PMs and Follows/Favorites kept reminding me about this amazing world! Ok, here is the new chapter... Hope you like it!**

Parker had insisted that his "Dr. Bones" needed to stay with them again that night and Booth hadn't exactly disagreed either. They had gone to her apartment and picked up a few things she would need in order for her to stay at Booths. Sleep arrangements had been the same as the day before and she had enjoyed immensely the opportunity to snuggle up to her partner. She slept better than she had in years, feeling safe, warm and loved.

Morning came and with it a very excitable Parker.

"Dr. Bones! Dr. Bones!" the boy said quietly while nudging her softly with his finger. She opened her eyes and he smiled brightly.

"Yes Parker?" she asked the child just as quietly.

"Can I sleep here with you? My bed is cold," he said pouting. Even if she wanted, there was no way she could deny that cute face.

"Of course, Parker, come in," she answered smiling and moving a little in the bed so he could fit.

"Thanks, Dr. Bones!" he said a little less quietly, but got in bed immediately and snuggled her as if she was his personal teddy bear. It was as if a bubble of love bursted inside her. This caring young boy had chosen her to cuddle in the morning. Her over his own father. He treated her as she remembered treating her mother when she was little. it felt immensely good to be so trusted and cared for, and it gave her a peace she hadn't felt in over fifteen years. She was accepted. Both Booth boys accepted her as she was and cared deeply for her no matter her faults and failings. She had he Booth to her right, sleeping on his side, facing her and Parker mostly on top of her left side. Booth's right arm was currently enveloping her and the boy and she couldn't feel more contented. This was how happiness felt, she realized, and it was an epiphany bigger than she had ever had. This was what people looked for their entire lives. And it felt amazing. She was normal. She had love. She knew, physically, she was releasing hormones, and using different neurotransmitters, but it did not change the fact that she could feel it. Her reaction might have been chemically induced, but it did not make it any less powerful or real. Her feelings for Booth were real, just as her love for Parker.

She started caressing Parker's hair and, soon enough, they both fell asleep.

When she woke up, she felt something was different. She opened her eyes to study this suspicion when she saw Booth was awake. His smile was the biggest she has seen in the two years she had worked with him, and his eyes were a little misty.

"What is wrong, Booth?" she whispered quietly as to not wake Parker up.

"Nothing," he said "I'm just so happy, I can hardly believe it" and she felt the same way.

"me too," she said smiling "me too, Booth". He squeezed her a little and grabbed her hand, holding her and Parker a little tighter.

Not long after she had woken up, so did Parker. The boy was clearly not interested in staying in bed, so the three of them stood up and went to the kitchen to have some breakfast.

The day was spent talking, laughing, watching movies and eating Sponge-Bob noodles. The only dark spot on an otherwise perfect day was having to take Parker back to Rebecca's place. He cried, hugged them, asked them not to leave him and refused to enter his house. They promised he would see them both the following Friday for his tutoring and, finally, he calmed down. When Booth walked Parker inside, he met Rebecca, exchanged a few words, turned around and left. Not without looking back to check on his son who was still crying.

"I understand your point, cher, but I think it might be better if you formalize your visitation rights first. According to what you've told me, you are only allowed to see your son when your ex is up to it, which isn't much, mind, but you still pay child support and have acknowledged paternity, right?" Said Caroline Jullian, DC's District Attorney and Booth's personal friend.

He and Bones had agreed to talk with a lawyer as soon as possible and Caroline had been agreeable to an immediate meeting.

"Yes, I did sign a form about it when Parker was born" he confirmed. He remember sneaking out from the base in order to meet his son, going AWOL for a whole day. It had not done his training any favors, but there was no way he was going to miss meeting his son.

"Ok, then. You should be seeing your son periodically, not whenever it strikes your ex's fancy. That would be a very manageable petition and your son would gain some stability. As for demanding full custody, I do not think you are there yet. It could be a possibility for the future, maybe," she said, eyeing Bones and his hands clasped together.

"Why not now?" asked Brennan.

"Well, cher, to tell you the truth, I don't think he would win" she answered, sighing.

Booth felt a knife twist inside him. It was obvious to him now. Of course, he was not worthy of taking care of his son. He was a single man, with gambling problems and a dangerous job. Bones had done a good job of convincing him he was not his father, but the courts would not see it so clearly.

"That is preposterous!" stated Bones, and Booth felt touched at her faith in him. "Parker would be an extremely lucky boy for living with Booth! He is an excellent and adoring father and is perfectly capable of taking care of his son," she added. Booth smiled at her, and was going to tell her he was thankful for her comments but was interrupted by Caroline.

"Oh, I know it, Dr. Brennan. And you know it too, but that is because we know him. In court, a judge would see him otherwise. A single man, living the life of a bachelor, with no stable female role in the house, history of a gambling addiction with a dangerous job which also happens to have long hours. It simply does not sound good. On the other hand, we have a loving mom with a desk job that has normal hours, no particular danger, financial stability and a male role in her steady boyfriend... it would sound as if Booth is trying to steal the boy away from her"

"But he isn't!" Added Bones, losing her patience. Booth was going to answer again, but Caroline beat him to it.

"Of course not, cher. That is why I believe formalizing rights is best. You go to a Judge and tell him that your ex-girlfriend is not very good at keeping the visitation schedules you agreed on and you have the evidence to prove it. Texts, e-mails, even witness accounts by you Dr. Brennan would help. Then, he states he merely wants the chance to see his son periodically: every other weekend along with half the holidays. The judge won't say no. If, and when, Rebecca breaks the agreement, you save the evidence. When this happens three times, you take her to court. That way, she would have breached legal agreements and you will have a case. If this happens to give you, Seeley, time to get serious with the girlfriend and marry her, then even better. A stable family, with married parents and a mother figure that can take the hours off work to take care of the boy if needed, would make the case very simple. If not, then you still have the breached agreement," explained Caroline.

"Marriage is an antiquated ritual and even if I am willing to make our relationship long-term, I wouldn't agree to participate in a ceremony that makes me his property," stated Brennan. Booth was opening his mouth to say something when he was interrupted, again. Seriously! It was as if he wasn't even there!

"While that used to be true, it is not anymore. Have you read the laws regarding marriage?" Caroline said looking at Bones, who shook her head no. "Well, now it's mostly a legal agreement that states the couple's commitment to be a partnership in life, to share everything and support each other. It states that you are willing to be faithful, to fight for each other and that the state should recognize that exclusivity. It declares to everybody that you are the most important person in your significant others life and he to you. It gives your partnership, family and stability. It has fiscal benefits and shows the world the level of commitment you have to each other. You might not need it to know how you feel about your partner, but the rest of the world does. It is like obtaining a doctorate. You might self-study and end up knowing as much as any Doctor, but until you have the diploma, it doesn´t really count for any prospective employers or colleagues, does it?"

"The mere diploma doesn't change the persons knowledge, Miss Jullian," Brennan stated as if Caroline was dumb.

"Of course it doesn't, cher, but tell me something. Would you hire an intern with deep knowledge but no degree? Probably not. The diploma validates your knowledge and allows the rest of the world to be able to trust your knowledge. You probably knew as much Anthropology the day after you got your doctorate as you did the day before, but to the world, your professors, your prospective bosses and you colleagues you became something you weren't before. It's the same with marriage. You might love your man as much as you loved him the day before the wedding, but for the rest of the world, you are real. You become a serious couple and change your role in the world. It is just how the world works, cher, how society works. You should understand that better than anybody"

Bones stayed quiet, thinking. Booth decided this was the perfect moment to remind the two women he was still present.

"Yes, well, so... How do I get my rights formalized?"

Caroline turned to him and he noticed she had a strange spark in her eyes. She was lecturing Bones on purpose! But, what was her plan? She couldn't really believe that she was going to change Bones mind, right? His partner was the most stubborn woman in the world and there was no way to change her mind. It was a good speech, though.

"Start by completing this and I will talk to a judge later," said Caroline, standing up from her chair and reaching for a cupboard behind her with several different forms. She found the one she needed and gave it to Booth.

"Thanks, Caroline. I really appreciate your help," he told de prosecutor smiling at her. She had been a big help clarifying the situation he was in and he had a lot to think. It was a big eye-opener to realize that his situation wouldn't be seen as acceptable to gain custody of his son. He decided immediately that he was going to work harder, so he could become what he needed to be if he ever had to take Parker. He would never want his brilliant boy to suffer any part of the abandonment he felt as a kid, but it had happened and he hadn't noticed. He might not have prevented it, but he sure as heck was going to stop it. It didn't matter if he was worthy or not, he was all his son had besides Rebecca and he wasn't going to abandon him. Not as his own mother had done, nor as Bones parents had. He had to be better, he needed to be better and he decided that he was going to be better.

Brennan had been quiet. She had been given some good points on marriage by Miss Jullian and she always liked a good debate, but she was stuck on something else. She HATED when people who hadn't profusely studied a subject spoke about it as if they were eminencies. She deplored that kind of human being, because it degraded the people who had truly researched and studied the field, who had spent years trying to delve into their biggest mysteries. It sometimes happened with Forensic Anthropology. Some people would say that after DNA was discovered, the need for her field disappeared, that she was useless and outdated. Those people were clearly ignorant and knew nothing about the job she loved, but it still annoyed her that they tried to undermine her. And she had done the same.

Caroline Jullian has asked her if she had ever read the marriage laws and she had had to confess to being uneducated about them. She knew all about marriage rituals in hundreds of different cultures around the world, but never bothered to find out about the specifics of her own culture. The civil version, of course, as she didn't care much for Catholicism. She had assumed that civil marriage laws were the same as catholic marriage rituals, but that was no necessarily true. While American laws were loosely based in catholic morals, things had changed. She knew homosexual marriage was allowed now, while the church still didn't like it. That made it clear both entities were different. She had made assumptions and jumped to conclusions. She had become what she hated.

It was imperative that she researched the subject. Not because she had a sudden urge to become a married woman, but because she always made informed choices. In her opinion, any choice was acceptable, as long as it had been informed. The only problem was, she wasn't sure about how accepting she would be if she read up on marriage and figured out it wasn't as bad as she had thought it was. Would she be willing to change her views on something she had been so clear on for her whole adult life? But, what would it mean if she didn't? Wouldn't it mean she had chosen her stubbornness, her ego, over logic? She couldn't do that. No. Her choice to not marry needed to be logical. She would simply need to do enough research to figure out all the cons of marriage. Well, she supposed she would need to list the pros too or she would end up compromising her own investigation. She sighed. The scientific method could be a pain in her behind. She would need to accept whichever side proved to be the truth. Those were the pains of being such a science minded person, even if it meant to accept that civil marriage wasn't as outdated as she postulated so many times.

"You Ok, Bones? You are very quiet," asked Booth, distracting her from her thoughts. She looked around and noticed they were on the way towards the Jeffersonian.

"Yes, I'm ok, Booth" she answered "I was merely thinking"

"Anything I should know about?" he asked back, looking at her with a little frown in his forehead.

"I haven't reached any conclusions, so not yet. I will probably tell you at some point, though" Yes, he would need to know about her conclusions once she reached them. On one hand, he would know how accepting of a possible marriage to him she would be, and on the other, he might be able to be convinced about the unsuitability of the marriage ritual to the modern times they were living in. She stopped. Was she thinking about marriage as a concept or a possible marriage to him? If it proved to be an acceptable choice, would she consider him as her mate?

She knew she loved him, as that had been a conclusion reached and confirmed already, but marriage? Even if she accepted it as a possibility, was she willing to commit her metaphorical heart to him? The rest of her life? Well, the later question was easier to answer. She trusted him with her life, so yes. She was willing to give him her life. And, who was she kidding? If she ever agreed to marry at some point, it would have to be to her partner. He was the only man she trusted enough. So, yes. If she chose to disregard her questioned beliefs on marriage, she would need to tell him, as it would affect his life too.

"Are you having second thoughts?" he interrupted her thoughts again. She looked at him and saw him frowning and looking a little worried. Second thoughts? About what?

"What do you mean?" she answered.

"Are you regretting getting together with me?" he asked bravely.

"Our monogamous relationship?" he nodded "Of course not! Once I make a choice, I don't take them back, Booth. I make informed and sure decisions. You are no different. I'm your girlfriend now. Do I have fears? Yes. I'm afraid you will realize that I'm not enough for you, or that I can't give you what you need. I'm hard to deal with and fear you might get tired of it. However, I won't change what I've already decided. To me, you are mine and I am yours, and it will stay like that until you decide otherwise".

Booth was half looking at her and half-paying attention to the traffic. What had she said? She didn't mean to say so much! She just told him how she felt unworthy and that he would eventually leave her! Those were her fears and she wasn't supposed to admit them! And the ending? she wasn't a possession to own! But she had felt what she said. She admitted to wanting him for as long as he would want her, to be his only woman and him to be her only man. She had admitted to wanting a future... what was she thinking! This 'feelings' thing had her turning into a crazy woman!

She noticed the car had stopped on the side of the road. Booth turned the car off and moved his body so he could face her.

"God, Bones. I will never get tired of you! In the two years we've been working together, I have failed to get tired of your presence. I might have been mad, hurt or scared, but never tired. I always crave your presence. You are in my mind constantly. You never leave. Every minute I spend with you makes me happy, and every time I say goodbye I feel a part of me leave with you. If you are waiting for me to leave you at some point, then you will be waiting forever. I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU. EVER.".

He was holding her hand, gripping it tightly and looking at her with his beautiful deep brown eyes shining, showing her how truthful he was being. She looked for a sign of lying or insecurity, but found none. He really, truly meant what he was saying. He wanted her for the long run. She felt her heart beating at a rapid pace, threating to run. Her mind wanted her to believe that it was impossible for him to know he would never leave her. Nevertheless, another part of her that she recognized as her metaphorical heart, was saying he was being truthful. He was not being facetious, he really meant it. She had this strange, persistent and overtaking urge to kiss him, and she agreed that such action was acceptable to their current situation, so she let go. She jumped over the center console, threw her right leg across the side of the car so she was straddling him and kissed him.

She kissed him with everything she had, letting go of her feelings, thoughts, fears, expectations and pretentions. She let go of her protective wall, the one she always kept up so she could avoid getting hurt. She didn't need it anymore, she had him. Their kiss kept going until their lungs demanded more air. They needed air, so they stopped. She opened her eyes and saw him doing the same thing, looking a bit dazed. He looked adorable, hair all mussed, glazed eyes and goofy smile. She couldn't hold it anymore. She smiled, took a deep breath and whispered, without losing eye contact. "I love you, Booth"

He sucked his breath in, his eyes widened and his arms tightened around her. He didn't look dazed anymore. He looked disbelieving. She repeated it. "I love you". He smiled. It was a heartbreaking smile. He looked so handsome and happy she couldn't stop herself from smiling back at him. He kissed her then. It was just as full of passion as their earlier kiss had been, but this time, she could also feel his tenderness, his love. He was letting go of his own fears this time. He had been probably scared she would never feel that way for him, that she would never love him, as he wanted to be loved. She understood, so she poured every feeling she had for him in that kiss. It was perfection in every form.

When they eventually separated, he touched her forehead with his and whispered, "I love you too". And she knew, he was her present and her future. She would be with him for the rest of her life. 20, 40 or 50 years, as long as they had.

Her revelation was interrupted by a knock on the window. A police officer was looking at them angrily.

"Oops," said Brennan, while going back to her seat. Booth looked at her smiling and lowered the window.

"I'm sorry, officer" he said, embarrassed. .

"Yes, yes, whatever. If you want to do things, go back home. You are in a public street in the middle of the day! I won't give you a ticket only because it didn't look as heated as it could be, but seriously, go home," he added curtly.

"Yes officer, thank you". Boot smiled, closed the window, turned on the SUV and pulled it into traffic. Then, they started laughing. Brennan couldn't really stop it, even if she was really trying. They had been caught making out in the car as teenagers in the middle of the day and in a crowded street! Well, it was the first time it happened to her, but she didn't care. She was too happy for that.

When they arrived to the Jeffersonian, they were still laughing.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Ok, so I clearly haven't died or dissapeared, and am sorry for taking waaay to long to update but.. I haven't been very inspired to write and just couldn't do it.. anyways.. thanks for all the reviews you have made and the PMs you've sent to check on me! I really appreciate it!**

 **In this chapter, I use a form of entertainment that didn't exist at the time this story would have happened, but I'm taking slight liberties in the timeline. For more information of the place discribed, go to the AN at the end of the chapter.**

 **I hope you like it!**

Caroline had asked Booth to create a "Visitation Plan or VP" and to present it to Rebecca. The prosecutor had told him that the best outcome was to come to an agreement with his ex and show it to the Judge. He had done it, detailing weekdays, weekends, holidays, birthdays and every special date he could think about. It was so detailed, that even his partner had been impressed. He smiled. He couldn't stop the happiness that his new relationship status with the anthropologist brought forward in him.

The VP was finished and it was time to talk to Rebecca. It was good timing, because Parker was currently staying with him and he was planning to show it to her after dropping the boy off at her house. It could wait though, as his partner had decided to take them to a day of fun. It was a surprise, but he couldn't wait to find out what she had in mind. He had made her promise not to take them to anything too cultural, so he was not worried. Even if she did, though, he would sure enjoy the fact that he was giving his boy a "family day".

"Ready to go, Booth?" Bones asked him entering his room.

"Sure Bones, Did you check on Parker?"

"Yes, he is ready and is very excited" she answered smiling.

"Daddyyyyyyyyyyy hurry up! I reaaaally want to know what Dr. Bones surprise is!" He smiled at his son and followed him outside.

Bones had been driving and he took a long time to figure out they were going to the DC Armory, but there they were. While it had potential, it was probably going to be an exhibit of some kind. Well, he could enjoy the day with his little family anyway. On the entrance, though, he changed his mind about possible boredom. There were Dinosaur photographs all over the place, some real-size models and a few movies showing their history. Bones had brought them to a hands-on Dinosaur Exhibit! Parker was going to be very happy about it, and some of the activities he could see in the posters did look like fun. She had chosen right.

"Dinosaurs! Yeyyyyyyy!" Squealed Parker "Thanks Dr. Bones!"

"It does look fun, doesn't it Parker? Why don't we go check out which activities look the most appealing?" she answered the boy.

"Yes! Let's go!" He grabbed Bones hand and started dragging her towards the entrance desks. He followed them quickly.

The place had several interesting activities and Parker chose to become a Paleontologist for the day so he could touch bones like his Dr. Bones and learn all about the Dinosaurs at the same time.

They had a lot of fun cataloguing different bones, learning about them and using the "Dino Bone Scanner". Parker even tried to scan his own arm to figure out what it could say about what was inside him. The paleontologist leading the activity had to explain that the scanner was made only for dinosaur bones, and that it didn't work with humans.

They had lunch inside the Armory and then decided to go to the Cretaceous Challenge Zone and compete as a family. They had a lot of fun, and ended up exhausted. Booth included.

After having a fun-filled day, they decided to get some Pizza and eat while watching a movie. Nobody had any interest in cooking or even having to do much of anything.

Booth and his partner settled in his couch, with "Finding Nemo" playing on the TV and Parker in between them. Booth couldn't help but smile at how Parker was cuddling against Bones at his left while using his right hand to hold his father's right.

The pizza arrived and they ate quietly, watching the adventures of little Nemo. Booth had seen this movie plenty of times, but Bones was entranced by it. It was very cute. She and Parker discussed plenty of things about the movie, postulating theories about Dory, Nemo and his family.

After the movie, Parker asked if his Dr. Bones could take him to bed, and Booth had nothing against it, so his partner and son left soon enough so the tired little boy could sleep. He couldn't avoid hearing what they were talking, though, as his apartment wasn't very big.

"I had a lot of fun today, Dr. Bones! Thank you for taking me to see the Dinosaurs!" said his little boy.

"You are very welcomed, Parker. I had a lot of fun too and I was hoping you would too"

"I did! I love you Dr. Bones" answered his boy. His heart burst with happiness hearing him say that. What would Bones do?

"I love you too, Parker. Very much" she said softly.

That was when he realized he couldn't wait anymore. He had been pacing his and Bones relationship as to avoid freaking her out, or himself screwing up too bad. However, there was no need for that. He loved Bones, she loved him back and she was all in. She was telling his son she loved him, just as she had told him a couple of times. She was committed to him, had fully taken down her walls. He was being a coward and very stupid and it was time to end it. He would show her he was all in too.

Sunday was very nice too, even if it was completely different from the day before. He and Parker met Bones in the park and they agreed to hang out there. The boy taught the anthropologist the basics of Baseball and she caught on quickly enough. They spent a very enjoyable afternoon playing and having fun, especially Bones and his son, who ganged-up on him to make him lose. It was very entertaining watching them try. They even succeeded a couple of times.

After such a nice weekend, Parker was very distraught about going home, and he started crying even before they finished strapping him to his car seat. He asked to stay with his father, to not be taken home and to have them stay with him at Rebecca's. Every possibility he could think of, he asked for. But reality was difficult and Booth needed to talk to Rebbeca. They did agree that Booth and Rebecca would talk for a while and Parker could stay with Bones during that period.

Booth sighed. Rebecca was in front of him and wasn't taking his custody plans very well. Currently, she was ranting about how out of place he was for wanting to take anything to a judge, that he was lucky she even agreed to any sort of visitations right now and that he should be counting his lucky stars that she had the grace to allow him to see Parker once a month. At first, Booth started regretting his plan and thinking maybe his ex was right, seeing his son once a month was better than nothing, after all. After the woman mentioned how she could eliminate even the chance of Parker seeing him, he started thinking of ways for taking everything back and returning to normalcy. He doubted himself. He doubted his ability to be a good father for Parker. Maybe he was being selfish. maybe he should simply go.

A loud squeal from upstairs broke his train of thought.

"Dr. Bones! don't eat me.. nooooooo!" they heard, quickly followed by the pitter-patter of childish footseps.

"Then you will have to run faster! Little T-Rex" answered Bones and growled. They were playing dinosaurs! That was all it took for him to realize that he had been misled by self-doubt. His son needed him, and his Bones, and he would get them. He ascertained himself, took a deep breath and started defending his plan.

"Look, Rebecca, this can be much easier if you cooperate. Fair visitation rights are never denied as long as the father isn't addicted to drugs or alcohol, or physically abusive. As I am none of those, the Judge will grant me this plan fairly easily. If you don't agree, we will have to hire an attorney and spend time and money in getting the exact same result. It would not be convenient for neither you nor me," He stated clearly.

"Oh, don't pull this BS on me, Seeley. I know you don't have enough money to hire a child custody lawyer. You will not fight me on this. Stop lying and leave. Parker is mine and you have no legal rights to him," Answered Rebecca angrily.

"That might have been true, but it's not anymore. I have not only acquired the money needed for the lawyer, but have also reached out to a few law-enforcement friends to get some pretty good advice". He was so mad at her! She was manipulating him to drop his case. That would not be happening!

She sighed, defeated.

"Ok, I will sign the agreement" she said, while taking a pen and writing her name down on top of a dotted line which said "Rebecca Stinson, Mother of the child".

Booth smiled and felt as if a weight had been taken from his shoulders.

"Thanks, Becca" he said tenderly.

"Yeah, whatever. Now, please leave. It's late and Parker needs to wind down before he goes to bed" she said while standing up and leaving the room.

He called Bones and his son, saying that they were leaving and they arrived running around and with happy eyes and faces. He smiled again; she was so good to him.

Once Parker figured out that his Dr. Bones and Daddy were leaving, his eyes watered and started having trouble breathing.

Booth took his son into his arms, cuddled him and told him "It's ok, buddy. I will see you next Friday when you go to Bones office for some tutoring, you will tell me all about your week and the pictures you draw of the dinosaurs, and of all of us playing baseball and the plushy T-Rex you got for Show and Tell. You won't even notice and it will already be Friday. It's going to be ok, bub. I promise"

Parker was crying silently while hugging his father "I love you, Daddy" he said in a whisper.

"I love you too, buddy. More than anything else in the world" he answered equally quiet.

"Come on, Parker. Let your dad go. You need to go to bed soon anyways"

Parker looked at his mom, nodded and let go of his father.

They left and entered the SUV with their hearts broken by the little boy's tears. Booth looked towards his son's bedroom and saw him watching from the window. He told Bones about it and she rolled the window down. She mimicked sending the boy a kiss and they both saw the child smile sadly. He caught the kiss, returned it, and then waved back.

Booth started the car, waved again and started driving. By the time they turned the corner, Bones was still turned around waving at his son's window.

"Oh, god, Booth. I don't know how you do that every time. It metaphorically broke my heart," she said, with a tear running down her cheek. He gently wiped it from her face.

"Don't worry Bones; everything is going to be Ok. We will fix it, and it will stop happening" He grabbed her hand over the center console and she calmed down. They were in it together.

AN: So the Dinosaur exhibit truly exists, I foun it while googling. I have never been to the place nor the Armory, so something might be wrong with the details. If it is, I´m sorry. Anyways, the link to the event is: eventsdc NewsRoom / News / Dinosaur - Time - Trek . aspx

Love!

Em


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